I’m sure we’ve had our days when we could be found walking along the streets taking our time or lounging on our couches, not having to worry about work or school or any problems that press our minds. Just a no stress day; where we don’t have anywhere we need to be and nothing we need to do. There’s no rush. Simply serene!!

However, the truth reality is not that serene. There’s that word or habit, rush. That is how we live today. We rush everywhere. Maybe it’s to get to school or to work or to get ready in the morning. Rush. Rush. Rush! The habit has merely become contagious to all ages if you haven’t noticed. Ever wonder why?

The truth though, is the fact that we need to slow down and enjoy every day as it comes instead of waiting, anticipating, or dreading the next. We need to set our lives at the right pace, the perfect tempo, so that we can enjoy the great moments instead of rushing past them with just a glance. Simply stop and smell the Roses!!

As Joyce Meyer says in her book “Trusting God day by day”, life is like food. If we eat food too fast we don’t digest it properly. If we live life with our thumb on the fast forward button, we don’t digest it properly either.

Patience! Now that’s a word that can work wonders in taking part of a well-paced lifestyle. You may hear your teacher or mentor or parent telling you to be patient and maybe that’s the key, patience. It can be hard to be patient, trust me I know, but patience almost always pays off in the end!

Well, I don’t have to say it but as we know, we all need to live and enjoy life. We need to live and enjoy today and its moments. How hard is that? Then here are some helpful tips for slowing down and enjoying life more:

  • Remember to breath. By slowing down, pause, and take a really deep breath and focus on each breath. That way you can fill the air coming into your lungs.
  • Be patient. As mentioned above.
    • Prioritize your to dos. You can hardly slow down when you’re rushing to do everything without pacing between tasks
  • Be present. Simply focus on what is going on right now.
  • Appreciate scenery. Get out and enjoy the natural world
  • Are you someone who always tries to multi-task? Try single-task instead.

Here is a poem I found called “Overheard in an Orchard” by Elizabeth Cheney

Said the Robin to the Sparrow:
“I should really like to know
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so?”

Said the Sparrow to the Robin:
“Friend, I think that it must be
That they have no Heavenly Father
Such as cares for you and me.”

So why do we rush? That, I don’t have an exact answer to but I know that rushing can take away all the sweet little moments, memories, treasures that appear in our lives. As they say, Rush Now and Pay Later… wait! That’s not it but I’m going to use that as the motto of this article. Rush Now and Pay Later. You can rush past your childhood only to grow older and forget all the fun times you had, all those moments that made you laugh, just because you whizzed by it all too fast.

Overall, my fellow readers “Slow Down. Rushing means you miss what’s right in front of you.” – Anonymous

Serena Wambura